In a bus stop and facing the wrong way, this police van is caught on camera as it sneakily zaps speeding drivers.

It was snapped facing traffic, parked in the lay-by, with the only way out being for the driver to perform an illegal u-turn.

On a second occasion, the speed camera van was seen tucked away behind bushes, hidden to on-coming vehicles.

Police insisted today the speed camera van was breaking no laws, was there because of a series of accidents, and was in a lay-by no longer used by buses.

But drivers said it sets a bad example to other motorists. One said: "If it's supposed to be a safety van, why is it parked facing against the traffic flow, with it needing to cross two busy lanes of traffic to get away?"

Ray King, of the Northumbria Safety Camera Partnership, said: "It may look like we've broken the law but we haven't - the bus stop isn't used any more and we can get to the lay-by from a path without having to cross any traffic.

"If we do have to do a U-turn, we have trained police drivers who would only do it when the nearby lights were on red, stopping cars from going past.

"I appreciate what people will think of it being in a bus stop if they don't know it isn't in use.

"In terms of U-turns, if people decide to drive across lanes of traffic just because they think we have done it then that would be highly irresponsible.

"It's worth the risk of appearing to break the law if we can make progress in reducing the number of deaths and accidents on the road."

The van was put on the Cradlewell Bypass, in Jesmond, Newcastle, after nine accidents leading to fatal or serious injuries were recorded there over a two-year period.

Vans have been seen on both sides of the road, with cameras used to snap cars in all four lanes of the 40mph stretch.

Road-users say that the van appears to be flouting laws sets a bad example to drivers.

Derek Harrison, 59, of Westerhope, contacted the Chronicle after spotting the van.

He said: "I have noticed it a few times.

"If it's supposed to be a safety van, why is it parked facing against traffic, with it needing to cross two lanes of traffic to get away - if these rules are good enough for us, why aren't they good enough for them?"

Yesterday Chronicle photographers found the same van, this time parked on the kerb, with many of its bright markings hidden by over-growth.

Mr King said: "People who are driving towards the van can still see it's there. They should think, what's a van doing on the wrong side of the road in a bus stop and slow down."